Visually imperceptible matrix codes utilizing interlacing

Abstract

A device obtains a video and a matrix code (such as a QR code) to divide into portions and interlace with the video. The device generates a modified interlaced video by including at least a first portion in a first but not a second field of a first frame, a second portion in a second but not a first field of a second frame, and so on such that all of the portions of the matrix code are included in the modified interlaced video. Subsequently, the device transmits the modified interlaced video to a display. When the modified interlaced video is displayed, the matrix code is present but not visually perceptible. A matrix code reader detects and/or records and analyzes the displayed modified video to identify the portions of the matrix code included therein, extract such portions, and combine the extracted portions to form the matrix code.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for presenting matrix codes, the method comprising:
 obtaining an interlaced video segment, utilizing at least one processing unit, comprising a sequence of frames of video data that each include at least a first field and a second field wherein the first field for each respective frame includes a first portion of information to display for the respective frame and the second field for each respective frame includes a second portion of the information to display for the respective frame; 
 generating a modified interlaced video segment, utilizing the at least one processing unit, by combining at least one matrix code with the interlaced video signal such that:
 at least a first portion of the at least one matrix code is included in the first field of a first frame of the sequence of frames and not in the second field of the first frame, and 
 at least a second portion of the at least one matrix code is included in the second field of a second frame of the sequence of frames and not in the first field of the second frame, 
 
 
       wherein all of the at least one matrix code is included in at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment; and
 transmitting the modified interlaced video segment to at least one display device utilizing the at least one processing unit wherein the at least one matrix code can be captured utilizing at least one matrix code reader device by detecting the at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment that includes the at least one matrix code when displayed by the at least one display device and extracting the at least one matrix code from the at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment and wherein the at least one matrix code is visually imperceptible by a user viewing the at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment when displayed by the at least one display device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second frame is immediately subsequent to the first frame in the sequence of frames. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said operation of generating a modified interlaced video segment, utilizing the at least one processing unit, by combining the at least one matrix code with the interlaced video signal further comprises:
 adding an indicator to the modified interlaced video segment that indicates at least one of presence of the at least one matrix code in the modified interlaced video segment, at least one reference point corresponding to the at least one matrix code, or at least one boundary of the at least one matrix code in the modified interlaced video segment. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the at least one matrix code is included in at least two frames of the at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the at least one matrix code includes a display property that is different from that of the video data. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said operation of generating a modified interlaced video segment, utilizing the at least one processing unit, by combining the at least one matrix code with the interlaced video signal further comprises:
 including specific portions of the at least one matrix code in specific positions in specific first fields and second fields of specific frames of the sequence of frames in relation to an initial frame of the sequence of frames according to a predefined matrix code interlacing pattern. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein adding a synchword to the initial frame that identifies a start of the predefined matrix code interlacing pattern. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein all of the at least one matrix code is also included in at least one additional portion of the modified interlaced video segment. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said operation of extracting, utilizing the at least one matrix code reader device, at least the first portion of the at least one matrix code and the second portion of the at least one matrix code from the detected at least a portion of the interlaced video segment further comprises at least one of:
 identifying an indictor in the detected at least a portion of the interlaced video segment that indicates at least one of presence of the at least one matrix code in the interlaced video segment, at least one reference point corresponding to the at least one matrix code, or at least one boundary of the at least one matrix code in the interlaced video segment; 
 identifying a display property of an element of a frame that is different from that of the video data in the frame; 
 identifying a synchword included in an initial frame that identifies a start of a predefined matrix code interlacing pattern that was utilized to include specific portions of the at least one matrix code in specific positions in specific first fields and second fields of specific frames of the sequence of frames. 
 
     
     
       10. A method for obtaining matrix codes, the method comprising:
 detecting, utilizing at least one matrix code reader device, at least a portion of an interlaced video segment displayed on a display device that includes at least one matrix code wherein:
 the interlaced video segment comprises a sequence of frames of video data that each include at least a first field and a second field wherein the first field for each respective frame includes a first portion of information to display for the respective frame and the second field for each respective frame includes a second portion of the information to display for the respective frame, and 
 the first field of a first frame of the sequence of frames but not the second field of the first frame includes at least a first portion of the at least one matrix code and the second field of a second frame of the sequence of frames but not the first field of the second frame includes at least a second portion of the at least one matrix code; 
 
 extracting, utilizing the at least one matrix code reader device, at least the first portion of the at least one matrix code and the second portion of the at least one matrix code from the detected at least a portion of the interlaced video segment; and 
 combining at least the first portion of the at least one matrix code and the second portion of the at least one matrix code to form the at least one matrix code utilizing the at least one matrix code reader device. 
 
     
     
       11. A system for conveying matrix codes, comprising:
 an electronic device comprising:
 an obtaining component that obtains an interlaced video signal that comprises a sequence of frames of video data that each include at least a first field and a second field wherein the first field for each respective frame includes a first portion of information to display for the respective frame and the second field for each respective frame includes a second portion of the information to display for the respective frame; 
 at least one processing unit that generates a modified interlaced video segment by combining at least one matrix code with the interlaced video signal such that at least a first portion of the at least one matrix code is included in the first field of a first frame of the sequence of frames but not in the second field of the first frame, at least a second portion of the at least one matrix code is included in the second field of a second frame of the sequence of frames but not in the first field of the second frame, and all of the at least one matrix code is included in at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment; and 
 at least one output component that transmits the modified interlaced video segment to at least one display device; and 
 
 at least one matrix code reader device comprising:
 at least one optical detector that detects the at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment displayed by the at least one display device; and 
 at least one matrix code reader device processing unit that extracts at least the first portion and the at least the second portion of the at least one matrix code from the detected at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment and combines the at least the first portion and the second portion to form the at least one matrix code; 
 
 
       wherein the at least one matrix code is visually imperceptible by a user viewing the at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment when displayed by the at least one display device. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one matrix code reader device processing unit performs at least one of decoding the formed at least one matrix code or transmitting the formed at least one matrix code to a decoder device utilizing at least one output device. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one processing unit includes specific portions of the at least one matrix code in specific positions in specific first fields and second fields of specific frames of the sequence of frames in relation to an initial frame of the sequence of frames according to a predefined matrix code interlacing pattern and adds a synchword to the initial frame that identifies a start of the predefined matrix code interlacing pattern. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one matrix code reader device processing unit identifies the synchword and extracts the at least the first portion and the at least the second portion of the at least one matrix code from the detected at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment based on their relation to the initial frame according to the predefined matrix code interlacing pattern. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 13 , wherein predefined matrix code interlacing pattern specifies to include a redundant version of the first portion of the at least one matrix code in at least one of the first field of at least a third frame of the sequence of frames or the second field of the at least a third frame. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one matrix code is included multiple times in the modified interlaced video segment. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one optical detector comprises at least one of a still image camera or a video camera. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first portion of the at least one matrix code includes a display property that is different from that of the video data and the at least one matrix code reader device processing unit identifies the display property and utilizes the identified display property in extracting the at least the first portion and the at least the second portion of the at least one matrix code from the detected at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one processing unit adds an indicator to the modified interlaced video segment that indicates at least one of presence of the at least one matrix code in the modified interlaced video segment, at least one reference point corresponding to the at least one matrix code, or at least one boundary of the at least one matrix code in the modified interlaced video segment. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one matrix code reader device processing unit identifies the indicator and utilizes the identified indicator in extracting the at least the first portion and the at least the second portion of the at least one matrix code from the detected at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment. 
     
     
       21. A video signal produced by a process comprising the operations of:
 obtaining an interlaced video segment that comprises a sequence of frames of video data that each include at least a first field and a second field wherein the first field for each respective frame includes a first portion of information to display for the respective frame and the second field for each respective frame includes a second portion of the information to display for the respective frame; 
 generating a modified interlaced video segment by combining at least one matrix code with the interlaced video signal such that:
 at least a first portion of the at least one matrix code is included in the first field of a first frame of the sequence of frames and not in the second field of the first frame, and 
 at least a second portion of the at least one matrix code is included in the second field of a second frame of the sequence of frames and not in the first field of the second frame, 
 wherein all of the at least one matrix code is included in at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment; and 
 
 
       wherein when the modified interlaced video segment is displayed by at least one display device the at least one matrix code can be captured utilizing at least one matrix code reader device by:
 detecting the at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment that includes the at least one matrix code, and 
 extracting the at least one matrix code from the at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment; and 
 
       wherein the at least one matrix code is visually imperceptible by a user viewing the at least a portion of the modified interlaced video segment when displayed by the at least one display device.